This followed his recent screening and confirmation by the Bauchi State House of Assembly last Friday.

The swearing-in ceremony was held at the multi-purpose indoor sports hall, Bauchi, with the administration of the oaths of allegiance and office by the Grand Khadi of Bauchi State, Khadi Dahiru Abubakar Ningi, in the absence of the State Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar.

In his acceptance speech shortly after taking oath of office, Katagum promised to support the administration in ensuring the delivery of dividends of democracy to the people of the state in the remaining period of its tenure.

He assured the governor that he will work with other government officials to ensure the governor’s reelection.

He said: “I want to assure the people of Bauchi that we will work for you. In fact, it is now that we will start working for you.”

Punch Games

The Bauchi State House of Assembly on Friday screened and confirmed Audu Katagum as Deputy Governor of the state.

‎The confirmation was made during a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Mr Kawuwa Damina.

‎During the screening, the Deputy Governor-nominee spent less than five minutes with the lawmakers.

‎‎The member representing Bura constituency, Abdullahi Abdulkadir, moved a motion that the nominee be cleared because he had served the state as a Chief of Staff to the incumbent governor, Mohammed Abubakar.

The motion was seconded by Ibrahim Katagum, representing Katagum constituency.

Punch Games

Unidentified motorcyclists have continued to attack people in Bauchi metropolis, as two more pedestrians were again stabbed on Thursday and Sunday night.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that certain motorcyclists have been terrorising residents of Fadaman Mada, Gida Dubu, Awalah and Madina Quarters areas of the metropolis in the past two months, stabbing no fewer than 10 pedestrians, out of which two have died.

The Sunday incident occurred around 8pm, adjacent to the NAN office at Fadaman Mada, when a motorcyclist slowed down, stabbed one Isiaka Hamisu, and zoomed off. The victim survived.

Hamisu, a resident of Madina Quarters, told NAN that he was trekking home when the incident occurred, saying he was taken to the hospital and treated of the wound inflicted on him.

On Thursday, a repeat incident took place in Fadaman Mada area at about 7.30 p.m., when another pedestrian, Husaini Umar, was stabbed in the same manner.

“Initially, the pain was not much, but after some hours, it became severe that I had to be rushed to the hospital for a second time,” Umar told NAN.

NAN gathered that in all cases recorded, the mode of action was the same – a motorcyclist slows down, stabs a person trekking, and zooms off.

“Most worrisome is that the motive for the stabbing of innocent pedestrians is not clear.

“Unlike the ones we are used to, whereby youths on drug stab people to dispossess them of their valuables, nothing is taken away from the victims in any of these cases,” a clergy in Bauchi, Malam Buhari Dahiru, told NAN.

Dahiru had, on May 2, witnessed the stabbing of a woman very close to his mosque in Fadaman Mada area.

Also speaking to NAN on the issue, the community leader of Madina Quarters area of Bauchi, Malam Ibrahim Musa, called for vigilance by all to unravel those behind the heinous act.

Musa, who had been shouldering the responsibility of taking victims to the hospital, said it is being suspected that the incidents have links with people engaging in ritual activities.

“There may be some people seeking blood to do something with it, more so that elections are around the corner. Otherwise, how does one explain the fact that victims are only stabbed but never dispossessed of anything?” he queried

Meanwhile, Bauchi State Police Command said on Monday that it has arrested 12 persons in connection with the incidents recorded.

“So far, 12 persons suspected to be behind such ugly incidents have been arrested and taken to court.

“They were arrested during our patrols and incriminating objects were found on them. Prosecution is in progress,” DSP Kamal Abubakar, spokesperson of the command, told NAN.

He confirmed that the command had received report about a fresh incident on Monday (today).

“We have intensified security patrol as well as intelligence gathering to track down some of the culprits and bring them to justice.

“I am assuring members of the public that the command is always ready to save lives and property; all we need is cooperation in providing information on questionable characters,” he said.

Punch Games

The Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, has challenged women and youths in Bauchi State to strive hard to acquire knowledge so that they can benefit from available opportunities.

She stated this at the closing ceremony of the Skills Acquisition and Empowerment Training Programme initiated and sponsored by her pet project, Future Assured.

The event took place on Thursday at the Multipurpose Indoor Sports Hall, Bauchi.

Using herself as an example to encourage women and youths, she said it was after she got married that she furthered her education.

“When I got married, I had only the secondary school qualification. I didn’t know that my husband would become president, but I continued with my education and this is where God has brought me to today.

“Education has become a compulsory thing that we must acquire. We must understand English Language and speak it, so that when any intervention comes, we will benefit from it.

“People should continue to go to school, even if you will not work in an office; but, go, so that when opportunities come up tomorrow, you will not be left out.

“Nobody should relent or give up going to school. We should keep reading and schooling for the benefit of the society,” the First Lady said.

Wife of Bauchi State Governor, Hadiza Abubakar, who is also the chairperson, Northern Governors’ Wives Forum, said the empowerment programme would better the lives of the beneficiaries.

Hadiza, who is also the founder of the Bauchi Sustenable Women Economic Empowerment Initiative and Peace, thanked the First Lady for her assistance to the women and youths in the state, especially the less privileged.

In an address at the event, Governor Mohammed Abubakar commended the First Lady, saying that the empowerment will have a positive impact on the beneficiaries, and boost revenue generation in the state.

Punch Games

A female pilgrim from Bauchi has been left in Saudi Arabia following the loss of her Passport, according to Alhaji Abdullahi Hardawa, Executive Secretary, Bauchi State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board.

Hardawa, who briefed newsmen on the exercise, on Monday in Bauchi, after the arrival of the last flight that brought back the pilgrims, said that the unnamed pilgrim was from Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area.

“All pilgrims are back to the country, except one woman that lost her Passport; we left her behind in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia because she lost her Passport,” he said.

The official, however, said that Nigerian officials in the Holy city were processing a new Passport to enable the pilgrim return home.

He described the exercise as “generally a success”, and attributed that to the full support and total commitment of the Bauchi State Government.

The Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Adamu, in a remark, commended pilgrims from Nigeria for exhibiting good conduct throughout their stay in the Holy Land.

He also commended states pilgrims welfare boards for their support to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria during the pilgrimage, and described the 2017 pilgrimage as a “huge success”.

Alhaji Ibrahim Jahun, Chairman, Bauchi State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, commended officials, sponsored by the state government to cater for the welfare of the state pilgrims, for what he described as “total commitment” to assigned responsibilities”.

Punch Games

The Independent National Electoral Commission has said that over 15,000 voters’ cards are lying dormant at the Bauchi State office, yet to be claimed.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Bauchi State, Ibrahim Abdullahi, disclosed this when he paid a courtesy visit to Governor Mohammed Abubakar at Government House, Bauchi, on Thursday.

He said the unclaimed voters’ cards were for the first phase of registration early this year, adding that the second phase was on-going.

Abdullahi added, “During the first phase of the voter registration, over 35,000 voters registered in Bauchi State, out of which 15,000 are yet to collect their cards.”

He lamented, “Despite the use of the electronic media, there is still low turnout of eligible voters during the last voter registration exercise.”

He urged politicians and political parties to encourage their people to participate in the phase 2 of the voter registration exercise.

In response, Governor Abubakar assured that as “a true democrat who occupied a political office with over 10 years’ experience working in INEC, he has no reason not to support INEC in discharging its duties.

He then directed the Secretary to the State Government, Mohammed Umar Nadada, to convey a meeting with all local government area heads of administration and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that the people are enlightened to participate in the on-going voter registration exercise and to also collect their voters’ cards.

Four suspects have been arrested by the Police for allegedly beating a 70-year old woman to death.

She was alleged to be a witchcraft, the Bauchi State Police Command has confirmed.

The Police spokesman, Bauchi State Command, Kamal Mohammed, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, made the confirmation in an interview with newsmen in his office at the Police headquarters, Bauchi, on Tuesday.

The incident was said to have occurred at Doka village in Bauchi Local Government Area of the state on September 5th.

Mohammed said the suspects seized the deceased, Mrs. Liyatu Michael, and another elderly woman whom they both suspected of witchcraft, took them to a house in the community and started beating them.

He said reports reaching the Police indicated that “on realising that one of the women had died, they took her dumped her corpse in the backyard.”

The other woman, identified simply as Keziah, survived the beatings and is receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital, Mohammed added.

The Police spokesman explained that the police have arrested four suspects in connection with the death of Liyatu, while some other suspects are still at large; promising: “but the police are making efforts to arrest them and bring them to justice.”

He said the police are investigating the circumstances that led to Liyatu’s death, while the four suspects would soon be charged to court for culpable homicide.

It was gathered that trouble for the two women started after they allegedly confessed to being among “practising witches” that had reportedly “caused” many premature deaths and setbacks in Doka community.

The irate youths thereafter pounced on them, not minding their ages, in a bid to force them to confess more details of their alleged atrocities.

Newsmen further learnt that Liyatu, a mother of eight, and another elderly woman, Keziah, were rounded up by the youths at about 3.00am and taken to a room where the two elderly women were beaten to a pulp in the presence of their helpless children and family members.

Our correspondent learnt that the youths were specifically angered that the duo were allegedly behind the grave illness of a young housewife in the community identified as Yelkon.

“Yelkon has been bedridden and seriously sick immediately after she gave birth and we learnt that her illness was caused by the two women who confessed to have “tied her” in the coven and that she would be sick until she dies,” said a resident of Doka, who pleaded anonymity.

Punch Games

The Bauchi State Government has said it will soon commence the process of registration and tax imposition on churches, mosques and religious organisations as a way of generating revenue for the state.

The government plans to also conduct a survey of both churches and mosques in the state with a view to getting their contacts and addresses for security and political reasons.

The Commissioner for Religious Affairs and Community Relations, Baba Madugu, disclosed this while speaking on the achievements of his ministry within the last two years.

He said the government spent the sum of N95,111,300 for organising Quranic recitation competitions annually in the last two years.

Speaking on the way forward and the plan of action for the ministry, Madugu said, “The ministry intends to embark on the registration of worship places and taxing beneficiary organisations who benefit from the services of the government.

“It also intends to undertake the survey of all places of worships (mosques and churches) throughout the state, including their addresses and contacts for security and political reasons.

“The ministry intends to solicit the centralisation of all religious activities so as to achieve maximum service delivery.”

Copyright PUNCH.All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.